JohnB

I am sad and cannot help but cry. The situation seems hopeless now. Even the carpentry is riddled with workmanship problems. My husband visited the house today and was appalled. Our renovation has been plagued by poor workmanship, sadly. It has been a trying and draining period for us. Customer service from Keith is good and he is a very nice person. But the workmanship is near deplorable, unfortunately. Be it painting, tiling, the sink-and-stove concrete support, service yard windows, bathroom box-up acrylic, etc. And now, the cabinets too. What do we do now?

Caesarstone Quartz Surfaces Speaking of countertops, we saw these at Hafary: Hafary ServiceSome time near the end of December (or thereabouts, I think), we were shopping for furniture and thought it might help to have a sample of our tile for reference when assessing and matching colours/textures. We popped into Hafary Eunos. The lady who served us, Woo Kexin, enthusiastically bagged up the sample for us and ensured that we had everything we needed before we left. We were pleasantly surprised by and appreciated the solicitous service.

Thank you, FATFROG! So kind of you. Your post has brought a bright spot to my day.

Me! Your ID seems to be really generous.

Concrete-Inspired Solid Surface Aren't these nice? Here is the link for them! The ones that Keith showed us are from the Concrete collection. (The small white sample in the photo is the Alpine White, from the timeless White, Gray and Black series. There are quite a few whites in the series. Have fun!) I also like the Breeze from Breeze collection. I read that it would go with a variety of interior finishing materials including wood, steel and concrete. I think I may prefer this!

Loving the floors!

Day 15 1) Keith replaced the bathroom tiles. He bought the tiles and got the repairs under way quickly! We are very grateful for his kindness, and the efficient way in which he took care of the repairs. 2) 3) He also gave us a sneak peek at the floors!

Thank you!

I really like your cafe balcony. I love your ideas. I just know your new home will turn out great! So excited for you!

Haha! Just for that alone, I vote for #1 the Flying Bird! Your sofa looks deep and comfy.

That's great, Yelena! So glad for you!

Day 14: Kerbs The kerb at the main entrance. (To prevent water and dust/dirt from getting into the house when the town council folks do their regular washing. Or so we hope!) Keith informed us that the the bathroom floors were not level with that of the bedrooms and that he would have to construct kerbs where they met:

Your renovation is looking good! I especially like the tv console!

The colours in the art print and those of the polaroll match to a T. Showflat! #awesome

I get what you mean. I, too, would choose a nicely-renovated home over DIY learning opportunities any day. In a heartbeat. I'm afraid I don't know how to polish quartz and solid surface countertops, unfortunately. All the best, Wyx03-2002.

Love your house, Gingereve! Those Iron Man wall lights, my husband would love them. I was going to ask you about the fan in your Iron Man living room, but saw the info on your blog. Thanks. Desserts make me happy too.

Day 9: Laying Tiles & Windows Permit The first steps, so to speak! We were thrilled when we saw Keith’s photos! Can you see the concrete flooring in the corridor? I am quite thankful that the tile colour mirrors that of concrete – that light, cool colour of concrete before being coated with epoxy. For that is the colour I have been hoping for. I’m afraid I often worry about colours and palettes! #phew The permit for the service yard windows was approved on Day 9.

Which direction to lay the tiles? This question arises because our tiles are rectangular. I wonder if owners of vinyl and laminate flooring face this question as well, as the pieces/panels are rectangular? Anyway, I have listed the case for and against the options that we considered. Hopefully, it will help you somewhat when you are planning your flooring and renovation. =) The OptionsWe posted them on FB and IG. (A bit of fun ensued; our friends’ dry sense of humour never fails to delight and make us laugh!) A received the most number of likes while B was placed second. C did not fare quite as well, and D put up a brave fight and lost with its dignity intact! We had originally leant towards A (instinctively), but also liked B, C and D. A1) ID’s choice! Keith prefers this. He mentioned to my husband that there might be less wastage going with this direction, and also, that it would be easier for the tilers. 2) This direction puts emphasis on the longer side/direction of the L-shaped space. It is said that, in a square or rectangular room, one is generally recommended to lay rectangular tiles in the longer direction as it will result in less grout lines (and so an aesthetically more appealing effect). If we try to apply that rule to our L-shape, could it be this direction then?3) It appears running the tiles in this direction creates a pleasingly long line for our eyes to follow at the bedroom side. This adds length to the space visually! And making it, as a whole, look bigger. 4) By all accounts, this direction may be better fengshui-wise? A chi thing. And quite funny! Apparently, chi that comes in from the main entrance is generally thought to be good chi and should be retained. With this direction, the chi is led into the kitchen where it is grounded by the square tiles from HDB (it seems square tiles ground chi or something, and apparently having good chi in the kitchen is something one would want to achieve). Or, it is bounced between the bomb shelter wall and living room wall, or between our bed wall and living room wall. Either way, the chi is kept inside the house, possibly blessing us with fortune and abundance, plus an overall sense of well-being and balance! Hilarious. If the tiles lead to the windows, then apparently so follow will the chi. Entering from the main door, following the tiles and heading straight for our living room windows – and exiting. And along with it, fortune and abundance, evidently. To say nothing of that sense of well-being and balance! B1) Laying the tiles parallel to the view direction from the main door may well make the living room appear longer. Meaning a nicer entryway? 2) Furniture-wise, this direction may produce a more coherent flow! Consider the layout of the sideboard, study desk and wardrobe. It seems to look more organic if the tiles were to run in the same direction.3) It is said that one is generally recommended to follow the direction of the main source of light (the windows in our case). Apparently, this can a) help disguise imperfections in the tiling and make them less readily noticeable, and b) create the illusion that the floors stretch on and on! C and DThese two were not as well-received, unfortunately. Mostly because they were deemed to be too much for tilers here – we were advised not to take the risk unless we were sure of the skills of the tiler. I read that a diagonal tile layout might make the floor feel expansive! So if you have confidence in your tilers, no harm going for it, perhaps? The ChoiceWe took Keith's advice and chose A! He is a good ID and we have grown to trust his professional opinion more and more.

PaintedLady, DR28 and Kenoro, I have PM’d you too, by the way. I tend to forget to come back and reply after sending the messages.

Hi Pomme. I like the look and effect of Pandomo too! Would that we could afford it. $7,316, I think, for our living/dining room + two bedrooms + hallway. I think the sum covers preparation (levelling and such) as well as installation. $7,316 comes from $4,416 + $2,900 (Keith told us we would have to add about $2,900 (ballpark figure) to the flooring rates in our quotation at that time). That is if my memory serves! Don't take my word for it. Are you thinking of getting back the concrete/cement look for the flooring in your next new home? I popped into your blog just now. Your current home looks nice. I especially like the LED light effect in your patio; it looks pretty cool.

Thank you, Ken. Sure I will. Let me send you a PM. My ID has also asked me for Kelvin's contact number. The door arm thingy seems to be a sought-after product. Kelvin is on FB, he and Uni-Arm are one and the same. He mentioned that someone will respond to enquiries on FB, and also, that WhatsApp or messaging is recommended.

Thanks, Takaishi! I can't wait too. I am keeping everything crossed that it will go well!

Hello back, The Kairas! We are really hoping that everything will turn out well! And thank you!

I'm sorry to hear that. What are you going to do with those defects – hire a handyman/contractor or something, or leave them? I understand why you are upset and feel for you. I suppose you must get a nice sense of achievement after fixing each defect. Plus you are picking up new DIY skills along the way. A small silver lining for you.

Congrats, Takaishi! Beautiful furnishings. Beautiful colours. Beautiful house!